Spool for thread



Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE S. RADFORD, OF NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR TO BELIDINGV HEM-i' INWAY COMPANY, F NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT SPOOL FOR THREAD Application led May 25,

My invention relates to spools for thread and is concerned particularly with means for securing the free end of the thread to the y spool in order to Winding.

lVhile numerous appurtenances have been devised for the purpose, none of them has proven practicable, and for years it has been the prevailing practice to cut a sharp notch in the flange of the spool and to insert the end of the thread therein. VThat has been adopted and adhered to in the industry as the best means thus far available, notwithstan ding certain defects. If the notch is sharp prevent unintentional unenough to hold the thread, it is diiiicult toV enter the thread and, once in, the thread is held so tightly that it is difficult, if not impossible, to release it, alone with ones fingers when the free end is short. If the notch is sharp` as it must be to be useful at all, it `is difficult to locate. And, depending upon the ence to the accompanying drawings, in

which: 3;; u Figure 1 is an end view of a spool embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an axial sectional view of that half thereof, taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows:

Figure 3 is similar to Figure 1. except that it shows a modification of my invention;

Figure 4 is another view similar to Figure 1, except that it shows another Vmodification of my invention; Y

Figure is an elevational view of a spool embodying another modified form of my invention; and

Figure 6 is an axial sectional view of the spool shown in Figure 5, taken on the plane .pointed out, is of conventionalv form com- 1929. Serial N0. 365,850.

of theline 6 6 of Figure 5 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The spool itself is of wood or other material and, except for features presently toV be prising a cylindrical barrel 7, having the axial bore 8, and the flange 9 at eachend. The thread wound upon the spool is indicated at 10.

The end of the spool is mortised, open at its periphery, as indicated at 11, this mortise, in the form Vshown in Figures 1 and 2, being shallow, ofzthe depth of the straight portion of the flange 9, and circular in form. It is thus located beyond that portion of the Spool which takes the wound thread.

An insert, in the form of a disc 12, is lodged in the mortise 11 and, preferably, it fits and fills the mortise exactly so as to pre'-V serve the conventional contour of the spool.

The inlay 12 is preferably of readily compressible or resilient material, such as rubber or cork, although it will be'seen that in the broader aspects of my invention it may be of materials such as celluloid, pyroxylin, wood or other material not compressible in its use here contemplated. Ineither event. however,it is one of the claimed features of my invention that it is of a color or shade to contrast with'the color or shade of thev spool itself, which is usually in the natural wood.

The disc 12 is held in the rnortise 11 by being compressed in the process of insertion therein, that ,is it is held therein by its own tendency to expand, orit may be held therein by simple friction, or by cement or other means. i Y

The free end of the thread wound upon the spool is indicated at t and it is held, to prevent unintentional.unwinding, by insertion between the disc 12'and the surround-- ing wood of the spool, as at z'. -As an `alternative,the disc12 may beprovided with Va peripheral cutlpositioned oblique to a line radiallyof the spool at that point and toward the direction ofthe wind Yof the thread. The free end of the thread maybe inserted in this cut/13 to vprevent unintentional unwind Ying, this form being particularly apt where lilil 40...- broader aspects.

45-er of the appended .claims .are drawny etccordingly, other` claims being directed to fthe-.-

the insert is of readily compressible material as hereinbetore pointed out.

An inlay of soft red rubber is an example of effective materiahfrom the stand- 5 points both of physical character and color. The spool may be mortised and provided With an insert, as has been described, at one or both ends, and in the latter event the free end of the thread is held at that end to which it is nearest at the point of unwinding..

The form .of my invention illustrated in Figure 3 differs from that which has been described in that the insert is of doveta-il, instead of circular, shape. The dovetail in- 5 sert is indicated at 12a and no further reference characters have been placed on this figure since the description of Figures 1 and 2 applies here in all lother respects.

Figure 4 serves a double-purpose. VIt il-.

lustratesanother, a substantially rectangular, form of insert as an alternative to the-- insert12 of Figures 1 and 2. Itis also an end vView ofthat form of myinvention il-y lustrated in Figures 5 and 6. In this form- 'the spool is rabbeted its entire length, as 1ndicated .at.14, andan .insertf15 tits and fills the slot thus formed,- thus preserving the conventional contour of the spool. The inlay or ofmy invention is capableeof manufacture byl simpleand inexpensivemetho'ds and, at oncerprovides vthe threadI holdingmeans at-Y 5-1eachendof the spools I have described my invention, and various forms thereof, With particularity so thatvthose` skilled in the art maybe advised of the points of refinement as Wellas of its The broader of jtheV ap#4v pended claims, .as Willbe seen, are. not dependent upon these points ofv refinements.: My inventioninitsf broader aspects, may be e variously embodied in a spool and the, broadmore speciiic features.;

I claim.: r

drical body With end iianges,A and andinsert of resilient material lodged inthe end of said body and exposed at the periphery of ing from endto end-thereof, and a thread engaging member lodged in said slot.'V

3. A spool of conventional form having an Q'f'external slot extending fromA endv to end thereof, and av thread engaging member lit# ting and filling saidv slot andcompleting the conventional contourY ofthe spool.

4. A spool of conventional form having anv 5"external slot extending parallel to the'axis of the spool and from end to end thereof, and a resilient member compressed into said slot lilling the same.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of May, 1929.

GEORGES. RADFORD. 

